Nine Places In Changing Summerville You Will Want To Visit And Photograph

With a highly celebrated historical landscape, Summerville has plenty to offer the discerning amateur photographer looking for that cherished photo memento. As you stroll Hutchinson Square and beyond, surviving remnants from the town's past are there for you to discover and capture with the click of your camera. Don't hesitate, as quick as the shutter blinks, the scene of Summerville is changing, as it has and as it will. That is the nature of things. Freeze framing the moments are imperative.

Just imagine, if you dare, even the long-standing Angel Oak will eventually succumb to the powers to be. It will be a sad day when that happens, but for those who have preserved their visit to the oldest living thing east of the Rockies with a photo, its place in time will always be remembered. What will take its place in history, only time will tell.

Summerville has been richly graced with thick groves of tall pines and old oaks. Their cooling touch and healing scent was what enticed early plantation owners to take up residence on its sandy hills. From those very same trees, they constructed their simple homes. The community grew and the trees were declared sacred. In time, some of the trees bowed to the Pine Forest Inn and an era of prosperity was ushered in. Of the trees still around today, longtime residents nurture fond memories and tell stories of playing below their broad branches.

Located near the corner where W Richardson meets Central Ave and considered the oldest tree in Summerville, the old pine is scheduled for an appointment with the axman to make way for the highly contested Dorchester Hotel project. Ragged from time and weather, the trees glory days have past. People no longer come to Summerville for health, they come for the charm, the hospitality, and the history.

We could dignify the old tree the way the Hopelands Gardens in Aiken honored one of its prominent cedars when a portion of it came down. They carved benches out of the cherished wood and placed them on site for visitors to see.

Eventually, each pine in its time will succumb to the powers to be. The scene of Summerville is changing. Like the first settlers and early town planners, may we seize the opportune moments presented to us and take Summerville into another era of prosperity.

I have picked nine places in and around Summerville's rich-in-history landscape that have become my favorite framed souvenirs. I offer this list as a suggestion of places you may want to check out and photograph on your next visit.

1) Colonial Dorchester State Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. From 1697 until the beginning of the Revolutionary War, the trading town of Dorchester flourished along the Ashley River, inland from colonial Charleston. Abandoned at the start of the Revolutionary War, the town of Dorchester has all but disappeared, leaving only the remains of a brick bell tower from St. George's Anglican Church, the foundation outline of a colonial home and a the fort made of an oyster-shell concrete called tabby. More pictures.

2) Linwood Bed and Breakfast was built on a two-acre site in 1883 by Julia Drayton Hastie, heiress to Magnolia on the Ashley Plantation. Ancient camellias, azaleas, majestic magnolias and stately palms dominate the properties landscape. Elevated porches offer a panoramic view of the lush, more formal gardens. It has been a bed and breakfast for over 13 years, officially opening in 1995 with elegant guest rooms, private baths, secluded sitting areas, a large swimming pool, and wide porches. More pictures.

3) Guerin's Pharmacy was founded in 1871 by Dr. Henry C. Guerin after buying out Schwettman Drugstore and moving the business to South Main Street and Richardson Ave. The Dunnings later acquired the pharmacy in 1975. When they were remodeling the interior they discovered a white chalk message scrawled on a wall by Joe Guerin in an upstairs office. The message documented the tragic sinking of the Titanic in 1912. It is the oldest operating pharmacy in South Carolina. Today, you can order a float, milkshake, hot dog or lemonade from its fountain.

4) My favorite of the old inns, White Gables was built by the Peake Family somewhere between the 1830's and early 1850's. In the early 1900's, Sara Woodruff developed a fondness for the near 65 year old house located on the corner of Richardson Ave and Palmetto Street. What happened next gave birth to her distinguished story and White Gables fame. Both fascinating and amusing, it is a story unlike any other in Summerville history. More pictures.

5) Middleton Place on the Ashley was settled in the late 17th century with its main family residence constructed in 1705. The estate encompasses America's oldest landscaped gardens called "the most important and most interesting garden in America." The Gardens were started by Henry Middleton in 1741. In 1952, Middleton Place began welcoming visitors to its gardens year-round. Every year Middleton Place host the finale of the Spoleto Festival. In the spring from April to May, on Wednesday, you can enjoy the gardens and sample old and new world wines at the Wine Stroll...More pictures.

6) Arriving and departing guests of the Pine Forest Inn passed through these decorative columns for forty years, beginning in 1891. The inn was world renown and visited by many celebrities, a showcase among Southern inns. It was advertised as being "situated on the outskirts of one of the prettiest villages in the Southland." The columns are all that is left of the Pine Forest Inn.

7) In 1938 Elizabeth Arden bought a summer home in Summerville South Carolina. The house is located at 208 Sumter Ave. It was built in 1891 for Mr. Samuel Lord, a Charleston attorney. The house was built by A. J. Baird, the man who also constructed the Pine Forest Inn. The house is still standing, but the inn was torn down. Elizabeth Arden sold the house in 1954. It had 15 rooms with 12 foot ceiling.








8) The Canada Geese on Hutchinson Square is part of The Birds in Residence Downtown Summerville Project--a collaborative effort by Summerville DREAM, Sculpture in the South, and the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. The B.I.R.D.S. are located throughout Downtown Summerville for you to search out. Maps are available to assist you.







9) Bell Tower next to Town Hall in Downtown Summerville at sunset. I took this picture during a Third Thursday--Summerville's monthly party. Things to see and do around town.

Summerville 2015--Springing Into Action At Every Turn Of The Corner

What do you do on the warmest day since late October? Going to Sullivan's Island to catch up on some long overdue beach time was my first capricious thought. Sitting on the wooden deck of RB's along the water's edge of Shem Creek was my second. As the roulette wheel of random options spun around and around in my mind, more predictably appeared. After all, in the Lowcountry, the places are many and the choices are numerous. Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, the mental pointer whimsically stopped on the idea of taking a leisurely stroll around Summerville to catch up on some of the latest and upcoming additions to the downtown area's growing culinary scene. My spring walk took me to West Richardson and Short Central where the colors of spring painted the dogwoods and a chorus of saws filled the warm air.

Alessandra's has moved to the corner of Short Central and West Richardson. Enclosed with black posts and broad beams, the restaurant has added a large, outdoor patio to its new venue. Reviews for this restaurant are mixed, but many locals consider it a favorite. It was always a great place to enjoy a pizza and people watch on a Third Thursday. One of its highlights was the live piano music.

Summerville is getting its first oyster bar. Shuckin' Shack is moving into the space vacated by Allessandra's. Presently under construction and soon to open, it specializes in fresh steamed and raw seafood (oysters, shrimp, clams, crab legs, mussells). It presently can be found at two locations, both in North Carolina--Carolina Beach and Wilmington. Coastal Living named Shuckin' Shack as one of their 22 favorite seafood dives and it was voted Best Wings at the Carolina Beach location.

The biggest surprise of the day was not so obvious when looking across West Richardson from Short Central towards longtime bar and grill favorite, Montreux. I knew the Montreux was in the process of redoing its outdoor patio, but when I approached the corner of the building and the back space came into view, I was pleasantly blown away. The outdoor venue had been turned into a beautiful piazza with pergola style dividers, stone pavers, strategically located fans for cooling on those steamy nights of summer and a full bar with big screen televisions. It is now open to the public.

Montreux was voted #1 Bar, #1 Happy Hour, #1 Date Spot, and runner-up Best Place for Trivia by locals in the Summerville Journal Scene's 2014 Reader's Choice Awards. How the bar and grill got its name is an interesting read. For the full story you can click on The Story of Montreux.

Summerville is rapidly reclaiming its rightful place among the Lowcountry's premier tourist destinations and 2015 is shaping up to be a pivotal year. With the incorporation of the Lowcountry Loop Trolley in February, Summerville is now directly linked to Charleston and points beyond with the Trolley's Hop On, Hop Off service--reminiscent of its early railroad days when it was the first stop out of Charleston. The ever popular Good Eats on the Sweet Tea Trail Trolley Tours have been scheduled for March, April, and May. The B.I.R.D.S. Project is in place to assist locals and visitors in discovering the downtown area and its history. Sooner than later, Summerville will have its first craft brewery--Oak Road Brewery. Lest we not forget, it is the home of the best monthly party in the Lowcountry known as Third Thursday.

Walk it, ride it, shop it, dine it. At every turn of the corner, the signs of a prospering Summerville are as discernible as the blooming dogwoods of spring 2015. Things are heating up.

Sip And Savor Summerville's Popular Drinking Establishments--The Newest Addition In The Trolley Tours

In the late 1880's, the dry and refreshing turpentine laden atmosphere of Summerville figured dramatically in a declaration originating out of Paris, France where a Congress of Physicians named it one of two places in the world best suited for the treatment and cure of pulmonary disease. The impact was almost immediate and the town was launched into a Golden Age of economic prosperity and international fame.

The anticipated rise in tourism energized the local government and plans were inaugurated to address the incursion of visitors. Grand inns were built and opportunistic residents turned their homes into bed and breakfasts. To entertain the visitors during their leisure time, tourist attractions were incorporated and tours of local points of interest were arranged. Over time, social, economic and natural upheavals blew through the Flowertown in the Pines and the days of prosperity went quietly into the night.

In 2012, a beloved local magazine dedicated to "celebrating the character, beauty and pace of the South Carolina Lowcountry with Summerville at the center" stepped out on a pretty thick pine tree limb and made a dramatic declaration pronouncing Summerville as the Birthplace of Sweet Tea.

A new day dawned and the town has since been launched into a new Golden Age. Local organizations committed to bettering the community and its businesses embraced the sweet tea renaissance. The Sweet Tea Trail was inaugurated and tours highlighting Summerville's illustrious past and present have been organized in partnership with the Lowcountry Trolley. The Good Eats on the Sweet Tea Trail has been a huge success.

The newest addition to the Trolley Tours was previewed on Saturday, July 19th called Sip and Savor or Drink the Ville. A cocktail hour trolley tour beginning at 4 pm, it takes you on a scenic drive through the historic district of Summerville stopping at three of its favorite establishments. Cocktails, wine or samples of local brews await your arrival for you to sip and savor--bartenders choice. It departs from Oscar's Restaurant on the 3rd Saturday of the month and tickets are $27.

After a couple of pictures in Oscar's reception area and a few welcoming words by our guide, Tina Zimmerman, we were instructed to gather at the bar and choose between two cocktails named Old House Crown and South Cackakackey(Cackalackey is a nickname for Carolina). If you were there as a couple and you incorporated a bit of shrewdness, the choice was easy and rewarding--each mark a different selection and enjoy both cocktails by sharing.

While we sipped the outstanding drinks Tom, Oscar's representative, introduced the bartender and shared the contents of the cocktails. While going over the dinner selections for that evening, he flavored his narration with some humorous quips, also introducing himself by what he referred to as his Indian name, Running Tab. Crab dip on a small cracker was placed before us as a teaser. The sly maneuver left you wanting more.

After a pleasant ride on the trolley, our second stop was Miler Country Club or better known by long time residents as the Country Club of Summerville. An interesting piece of golf course history mixed in with a full glass of a refreshing sweet tea concoction and cups of Palmetto Cheese and Chicken Salad was offered up.

We were cooled by the "Big Ass Fan" while sitting at tables on the Candlelite Pavillion. Another group picture and we were on the road to the "C" of Summerville or Coastal Coffee Roasters, our third and final stop.

The "C's" community table was lined with glasses of Sierra Nevada and platters of jelly covered bread. Those who didn't want to drink beer were accommodated with a replacement beverage.

Brad Mallett, owner and orchestrator of the "most popular venue in Summerville", welcomed the group and spoke about the "C's" driving force, community spirit. Besides roasting the finest coffee, it is a gathering place for talented musicians and artists, imaginative writers, and aspiring entrepreneurs. Plans are underway for a brewery on sight.

The group ended the visit gathered at the painting of Bill Murray drinking coffee for a parting snapshot--something of a tradition these days.

After the tours completion, feedback and suggestions on ideas or improvements were encouraged. In my humble opinion, the three stops were an appropriate number. A fourth stop might have put me over the edge of feeling pretty good. The scheduled hour and a half went by quickly. Depending on distances between stops, possibly 5 to 10 minutes, it appears twenty minutes was enough time to complete your drink and if not, you were allowed to bring in onto the trolley to finish off while traveling to the next establishment. When you consider drinks cost on a average of $5 to $7 dollars, adding appetizer teasers, the $27 ticket appears reasonable.

It doesn't take much to please me. I am happy doing most anything along as I am doing something. The tour introduces you to Summerville's drinking establishments and a preview of what they have to offer residents and visitors. It was a pleasant romp on the trolley. I didn't pay much attention to the passing scenery--more occupied with conversation with fellow participants, which was a gratifying by-product of the tour. After all, drinks and conversation go together like Summerville and sweet tea.

Summerville's Tour Guides Past And Present--Experiencing The Birthplace of Sweet Tea

In 1930's Summerville, tour guides stood by the town arch on Main Street near Highway 78 holding guide signs in their hands with hopes arriving tourists would acquire their services. The Town Hall was another gathering place for the young guides. All local boys, they would hop unto the running boards of the car when selected and direct the driver through the town past its beautiful residential gardens and key landmarks. Berlin G. Meyers was one of those young boys. He was paid a meager five dollars for his services, but as he fondly recalled, "A real fortune for a young boy in those days."

Like tea leaves steeping in a pot of sugary, hot water, Summerville has changed over the years and some of its older landmarks have gone the way of the Ford Model T. The town arch no longer graces Main Street, cars don't have running boards for young guides to stand on and if they did riding on it would probably be illegal, and the Town Hall of the 1930's has been replaced with the present one. But here is the resulting sweet tea of the story.

Tourism in Summerville is alive and growing. Through the tireless efforts of the Summerville Visitor Center and Summerville Dream in partnership with Lowcountry Loop Trolley, tours have been arranged for residents and visitors to drink in the highlights of our historic town deservedly designated the Birthplace of Sweet Tea and hear the numerous famous tales of its storied past from knowledgeable guides. The Summerville Dorchester Museum has been selected as the launch point. You can choose between three different tours scheduled throughout each month and they are as follows: Good Eats on the Sweet Tea Trail, Historic Summerville City Tour with Tea at the Museum, and Book Lovers’ Tea Tour-Timrod Library.

On the Good Eats on the Sweet Tea Trail, you will travel about historic Summerville on the Lowcountry Trolley enjoying complimentary tastes from a number of Summerville’s restaurants and gourmet shops. As an extra treat on your tris through town, Award-winning Storyteller Tim Lowry will regale you with stories of how local vegetables helped win the American Revolution, the social significance of souse meat, and the history of tea in the Birthplace of Sweet Tea. I have been on this tour. You can read my review It Was A Sweet-ride And Tea-rific Fun--"Summerville's Good Eats On The Sweet Tea Trail Tour."

The Historic Summerville City Tour with Tea at the Museum begins at the Summerville Dorchester Museum where you will get a firsthand look at Summerville rich history by way of exhibits, preserved photos and artifacts. Then you will hop on the trolley and be taken passed Summerville's lovingly preserved downtown, its many historic homes, and where sweet tea first started. Upon your return to the museum, you will be served a cup of freshly brewed tea and a sweet treat. It lasts 1 1/2 hours.

The 1 1/2 hour long Book Lovers’ Tea Tour also begins at the Summerville Dorchester Museum for a firsthand look at Summerville rich history and then takes for a ride on the trolley passed Summerville's lovingly preserved downtown, its many historic homes, and where sweet tea first started with one slightly obvious difference. You guest it, the tour makes a stop at the Timrod Library--one of only two membership libraries in South Carolina. It opened in 1915 and today houses a collection numbering in excess of 50,000 volumes including best sellers, reference materials, audio and video tapes, and a large number of South Carolina titles.

If you are a resident, whether young or old, reserve some time during the month to schedule a tour and learn about Summerville's unique place in the Lowcountry's southern culture and history. If you are a visitor, stop in the Summerville Visitor Center for information--while there grab a glass of sweet tea. Then, head to the Summerville Dorchester Museum on Doty Ave to hop onto the trolley to be taken down roads carved out by cows past summer homes built by Charleston's well-to-do. It's a tea-rific deal.

Schedule and tickets

Top Ten Things To See And Do Around Charleston's Lowcountry This Spring And Summer of 2014

Charleston easy is reclining on a well-used beach chair while basking in an early summer sun with subtle coastal breezes gently washing over me, fishing line stretched to the max, and feet cooling off in the restorative, salty waters of Breech Inlet just a stones throw from the Hunley Bridge.

Or paddleboarding the meandering tidal waters along the bustling water front of Shem Creek's plentiful eateries in the hospitable Lowcountry sun, dolphins curiously cruising past a few feet away while local shrimpers tend to the well-used nets on their rustic, steel trawlers.

These are just a couple of the simple pleasures enjoyed by the opportunistic individual of Charleston's sunny, water-soaked coastline. Watersports not your cup of sweet tea--there are plenty of things for the land lover as well. A city jam packed with interesting tours, yearly festivals, tasty Lowcountry cuisine, fashionable shopping, rooftop bars, and an active nightlife to fill your days and evenings.

But trying to compile a list of the top ten things to see and do around Charleston's Lowcountry from my own humble point of view is like trying to find a quiet place on S. Main Street during Summerville's most attended yearly event, the Flowertown Festival, downright difficult. There are a net full of landmarks and points of interest I as of yet have not had the pleasure to experience. Of those I have, I now earnestly attempt to rate my personal favorites highlighting varying interests for your consideration.

1) Botany Bay Plantation
A 4,687 acre wildlife preserve tucked away on the mossy oak draped roads among the marshy tidal creeks of Edisto Island is a pristine step away from civilization. Even its name summons an air of resplendence, as do the two plantations that were combined to make it, Bleak Hall and Sea Cloud. However, having been established after the Civil War, it is not officially a plantation. But that is of little import when compared to the beauty and splendor of Botany Bay Plantation--Botany Bay Rd., Edisto Island, SC

2) Morris Island Lighthouse
The phrase, shifting sands of time, is an old saying usually associated with an hour glass. Its meaning forbodes a change in circumstances. A famous lighthouse outside of Charleston Harbor, once a proud guardian of the coastline, now a vanquished sentinel, was victimized by the shifting sands of time, literally. The lighthouse residents and visitors see today was constructed beginning in 1873 and completed 1876. It was named the Morris Island Lighthouse because that is where it once upon a time stood. Sounds like the beginning of a fairy tale, but this is no fairy tale.

3) Thriller Charleston
The Thriller ride offers a different and unique venue from which to see Charleston at a quick glance and once again learn about its colorful history, a story that is told in detail many times over through the numerous popular tours Charleston is famous for on the dry peninsula. It will whisk you past 2 lighthouses, 5 forts, the panorama of Charleston Harbor and the Atlantic coastline around Morris Island. The dock is located on beautiful Shem Creek, in front of Vickery's Bar and Grill. Just turn off of Coleman Blvd onto Shrimp Boat Lane.

4) Old City Jail
Old City Jail housed some of Charleston's most infamous criminals, 19th century pirates, and Civil War prisoners. It is billed as the scariest tour in Charleston. Its imposing structure and aged condition makes for some good pictures--40 North Market St., Charleston, SC. Call 843-722-8687 to make a reservation for the tour.

5) South Carolina Aquarium
The South Carolina Aquarium needs no introductions. It is the number one attraction in Charleston. You can view shoreline favorites such as herons, diamondback terrapins, and puffer fish as well as the all-new stingray exhibit with more than 25 stingrays in the Saltmarsh Aviary. Catch a glimpse of a rare albino American alligator in the Albino Alligator Experience. It is home to four ring-tailed lemurs in the new Madagascar Journey exhibit. The aquarium has a massive, two-story Great Ocean Tank which holds 385,000 gallons of salt water and contains hundreds of fish, invertebrates, sea turtles and marine mammals--100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston, SC.

6) Irvin-House Vineyards and Firefly Distillery
The Irvin-House Vineyards is a 48-acre winery about 30 minutes south of Charleston. The vineyard offers walking trails, a petting zoo, a garden, large pond, winery, and gift shop. You can take advantage of the winery's affordable and informative wine tastings. For $4, you can taste all 5 of their varietals and will receive a complimentary wine glass for a keepsake to remember your time at the vineyard. The winery is also home to the Firefly Distillery, South Carolina's only distillery. Firefly became the world's first hand-crafted sweet tea flavored vodka. Lowcountry Trolley offers a 6 hour Island Sip and See for $52--6775 Bears Bluff Rd., Wadmalaw Island, SC.

7) Historic Horse Carriage Tours
If you want to get a quick history lesson of the historic district of Charleston and pinpoint areas to return for a more intimate look-see, the carriage rides are one way to achieve it. They are both entertaining and informative. Old South Carriage Co, Olde Towne Carriage Co, Carolina Polo and Carriage Co, and Classic Carriage Tours are four you can choose between. You can choose one in the Old City Market.

8) Angel Oak
Angel Oak looks like a giant octopus covering 17,200 square feet of real estate and from tip to tip its longest branch is 187 ft. At 500 yrs young, it has survived hurricanes, civil war and everything else the Lowcountry has been able to throw at it--3688 Angel Oak Road, Johns Island, SC.


9) Sweet Tea Trail Food Tour
The "Good Eats on the Sweet Tea Trail Tour" with Summerville resident and nationally-known
storyteller Tim Lowry. On this tour, you will be treated to complimentary tastes of delicacies from a number of Summerville’s restaurants and gourmet shops. As the trolley travels from one establishment to the next, Tim entertains you with the tall tales and factual stories of Summerville and its related history--Summerville Dorchester Museum, 100 E Doty Ave, Summerville, SC.

10) Holy City Brewing
A labor of love that began in the garage of Joel and Sean's rickshaw business where they built a 15-gallon, all-grain pilot system that produced roughly a dozen signature brews, later joined by professional brewer Chris Brown and beer enthusiast Mac, Holy City has grown into a dominant player in the craft beer market of Charleston. The brewery is a converted 4000 square foot warehouse. The exterior of the warehouse, like the beers brewed inside, is a Lowcountry work of art--4155 C Dorchester Road, North Charleston, SC.

Summerville's "Crime Of The Century" Needs Solving--Get Your Sherlock Holmes On And Join The DREAM Team Downtown March 20th

The beloved Mayor of Summerville, Bill Collins, has been ruthlessly liquidated. Preliminary reading of the sweet tea leaves are pointing accusatively towards local business owners as likely suspects.

The Summerville DREAM Team has been assigned the difficult task of investigating the case and are imploringly requesting the assistance of all residents and visitors to solve the mysteriously shocking and perplexing incident. "Who did it", "what did they do it with", and "where did they do it" are the three parts of the case needing a resolution.

March 20th, Third Thursday, Summerville will be transformed into a game board patterned after the murder-mystery game sold by Parker Brothers called Clue--invented by Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Pratt of Bournemouth, England and originally published by Waddingtons in Leeds, England in 1949 called Cluedo. No description of the games components is presumably necessary--Clue has a wide distribution and is considered one of America's favorite classic board games.

As a young child I, like many of my contemporaries, spent countless hours playing this addictive game. As a result, I became quite skillful at going from room to room collecting clues, employing cutthroat strategies such as misdirection, and ultimately arriving at the correct assumptions--with the assistance of a high role of the dice, which is key to quickly moving around the board in collecting the necessary clues. In the Summerville version, how quickly you move from clue to clue will be totally dependent on your fleetness of foot or as Sherlock Holmes would say, "The game's a-foot."

The fun begins at 5:00 pm. Clues will be spread throughout the various stores and restaurants in the downtown district of Summerville. You will have just three hours to collect and solve the case. Your due diligence will pay off--prizes will be handed out.

For background music, the Vistas will be performing on Hutchinson Square and at the end of the Square near the railroad tracks the 'Wounded Warriors' will be visiting to take pictures with you and share their stories. Expect to see 25-40 bicycles.

Also, make it a point to stop by the Summerville Dorchester Museum for "Tales of Summerville" history talks presented by Dr. Ed West.

Three more birds will be released as part of the ongoing B.I.R.D.S. Project and maps for the Summerville ROCKS will be distributed.

So, join the fun. Get your Sherlock Holmes on and solve the murder-mystery. Your favorite, local business just might be implicated in perpetrating Summerville's crime of the century in Lookin' Local.

Other notable events to consider in March are the Summerville Trolley Tours: March 14, 10:30 am, Historic City Tour with tour of Timrod Library and 1:00 pm, Historic City Tour with Tea at the Museum. March 21, 10:30 am, Good Eat on the Sweet Tea Trail Tour with storyteller Tim Lowry and 1:00 pm, Historic City Tour with Tea at the Museum. Visit lowcountrylooptrolley to reserve your spot on the trolley.